U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,585 discloses that a main charge of explosive is positioned symmetrically about a passageway-forming tubular member, such as a well pipe assembly. The charge is outwardly and radially spaced from the member and is coupled thereto by a dense medium, such as soil, which is adapted to transfer the produced explosive energy to the tubular member in the form of a pressure pulse applied by the medium. Initiation charges are supplied at the outer surface of the main charge, to initiate a detonation wave directed at the tubular member. A layer of dense medium is provided to confine the non-coupled surface of the charge and retard venting of explosive gases away from the tubular member. In the end result, concentrated, converging pressure pulses are applied to the tubular member on detonation, to cause it to be symmetrically crimped to restrict the passageway. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,585 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,760 discloses a shaped charge assembly that comprises a housing, first shaped charge, a wave shaping relay charge and a second shaped charge located in the housing. The assembly is configured such that a first active element formed by initiation of the first shaped charge causes detonation of the wave shaping relay charge, which in turn causes initiation of the second shaped charge to form a second active element. The first active element moves beyond a second end of the housing to cause damage of a first kind to an external target and the second active element also moves beyond the second end to cause damage of a second kind to the target. Shaped charges are known in the art, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,760 is one example. U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,760 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,794 discloses an annular blowout preventer for use on an oil or gas well rig having a lower housing, an upper housing, a resilient sealing means, a vertical bore coaxially positioned through the housing and a vertically acting piston for actuating the sealing means in which the inner surface of the upper housing and the inner surface of the lower housing are concentric spherical surfaces extending to the bore. The resilient sealing means includes steel segments extending between the top and bottom of the sealing means and the top and bottom of the sealing means and the steel segments have spherical surfaces coacting with the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housings. The upper and lower housings each include a vertical wall extending downwardly from the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housing and the vertical moving piston sealingly engages the vertical walls. U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,794 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,026 discloses a unitary blade seal for a shearing blind ram of a ram-type blowout preventer and includes an elongate member having a generally semi-circular cross section with a curved upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface has a pair of laterally extending sides that taper outwardly and have a metal outer cap bonded thereto. The metal outer caps form an acute angle that engages a complementary groove formed in the upper ram of the shearing blind ram assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,026 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,702 discloses a surface controlled, subsurface safety valve in which a force due to control pressure fluid from a first source at the surface for opening the valve is opposed in part by a force due to reference pressure fluid from a second source at the surface, whereby the valve closes in response to a fail condition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,702 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,526 discloses a ram type blowout preventor whose rams have variable ram packers for sealing about pipes of different sizes in the bore of the preventor housing. Each ram packer includes a body of elastomeric material installed with a slot across the face of a metal ram body slidable with a guideway intersecting the bore of the preventor body. First and second sets of metal segments embedded in the body of elastomeric material beneath a top plate embedded in the packer body are so constructed and arranged as to prevent extrusion of the elastomeric material as the packers seal about the different sizes of pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,526 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
There is a need in the art for one or more of the following:
Improved systems and methods for severing tubular elements;
Improved systems and methods for remotely severing tubular elements;
Improved systems and methods for remotely severing tubular elements when the tubular elements are in a subsea well; and/or
Improved systems and methods for remotely severing tubular elements when the tubular elements are suspended above a subsea well that is flowing oil and gas at an undesirable rate.